It’s that time again and we’re back with yet another rundown of what Android devices will be or won’t be getting the latest major Android upgrade. That upgrade of course is Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich which Google unveiled just a few short days ago. You can read about all of the details here but one of the main goals of this version of Android is to unify it, meaning, Google wants both tablets and phones to be running the same software.

However, that doesn’t mean that this update is going to be any less tricky than Gingerbread. We do have a few details right now and we’ll definitely be sharing those but this is going to be a work in progress.

After all, Motorola has announced that one of its flagship devices won’t be seeing the update until early 2012. And you know what that means right? It means that you’re likely going to want to bookmark this page because it’s going to be awhile before we find out all the details about every phone for sure.

(Note: For now, we’re going to focus on the phones with “bigger” names.)

HTC Amaze 4G

If you just picked up an HTC Amaze 4G from T-Mobile, it came out on October 12th, you don’t have to worry about whether or not your new device will see the Android 4.0 update. The Amaze 4G is one of T-Mobile’s more powerful devices and will only get more powerful when it receives the upgrade.

Of course, it’s running HTC Sense which could definitely slow things up a bit but rest assured, the Amaze 4G will get a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich somewhere down the road.

HTC Droid Incredible

It was a long road for the HTC Droid Incredible‘s Android 2.3 update roll out. It was marred by delays and suspicions that the device, which has reached its EOL, would not be rolling out. But, HTC and Verizon managed to get it out to loyal owners back in September and so far, we haven’t heard about the device having any major problems with the software.

And that bodes well for a possible upgrade to Android 4.0.

Don’t hold your breath though. The Droid Incredible is going on two years old and HTC and Verizon may not see it fit to release another major software update seeing as though most owners of the original Incredible will probably be moving onto greener pastures in the coming months.

Update: At this point, because HTC and Verizon have not said anything in regards to an update which isn’t a good sign. Throw in the the fact that the Droid X2 and Droid 3 are not getting Android 4.0 and we can pretty much all rule out the update for the Droid Incredible.

HTC Droid Incredible 2

The Droid Incredible’s successor is currently sitting pretty. It was released this year, April 28th to be exact, and it currently has Gingerbread on board which has been working like a dream for most people.

We haven’t heard anything definitive about an upgrade to to Ice Cream Sandwich but Google did say that most if not all phones with Gingerbread would see an upgrade to Android 4.0.

And given the youth of this device, we’re going to say that it’s likely.

Update: The Droid X2 and Droid 3 won’t be getting Android 4.0 and that doesn’t bode well for the Droid Incredible 2.

HTC EVO 4G

We hate to say it but Sprint’s iconic device is aging quickly. Don’t get us wrong, we still consider it a fantastic phone, but we’re not HTC or Sprint. Yes, it currently runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread and yes, there are still quite a few people rocking it, but like the Droid Incredible, it’s going on two years old. It has also reached the End of Life.

This is a phone that we never will count out though so we wouldn’t be surprised to see Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich be the EVO 4G’s last hurrah.

Nothing from HTC yet and we don’t expect to hear anything for a good while.

HTC EVO 3D

The EVO 4G”s successor, the EVO 3D, came out to much fanfare back in June of this year boasting some incredibly powerful specifications as well as Android 2.3 Gingerbread out of the box.

We can’t imagine that Sprint not giving the EVO 3D some Ice Cream Sandwich love so while we haven’t heard anything official quite yet, it should be OK to emit a sigh of relief as there is more than a very good chance that it will see Android 4.0.

Look for it to be among the first. HTC and Sprint are usually on the ball when it comes to EVO branded devices.

HTC EVO Shift 4G

Lest we not forget about the third member of the current family of EVO phones, the EVO Shift 4G, a device that really is kind of a black sheep. It has never achieved the same popularity as its brethren but hey, that might not stop HTC from releasing Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich for its owners.

After all, back in June, it got upgraded to Gingerbread which arrived with a ton of improvements on board.

It’s possible that HTC and Sprint won’t want to invest the time into upgrading the EVO Shift 4G with all of the other phones they need to be working on so we’ll say that there is around a 50/50 chance that it sees ICS.

HTC G2

Like the Droid Incredible’s Android 2.3 update, T-Mobile’s G2 had a bumpy road to release only it wasn’t delays that caused the headaches. It was the constant leaks that kept saying that the update would be rolling out soon. Owners begun to get fed up with the weeks and weeks of nothing only to see the update roll out at the end of July.

For the most part, it seems that the update has been a smooth one for G2 owners which, again like the Droid Incredible’s update, is a sign that there could be another update in the pipeline.

There are still quite a few G2 owners out there but it’s unclear if the device’s End of Life status will cause T-Mobile and HTC to take a pass.

HTC Inspire 4G

The HTC Inspire 4G is one of AT&T’s latest and greatest Android smartphones and it’s also one that is currently sporting Android 2.3 Gingerbread as its operating system.Will that save it from getting the axe when it comes to getting Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich? That’s currently a mystery.

It doesn’t help that its essentially the EVO 4G operating under a different name but then again, it has only been out since February making it a distinct possibility that AT&T might grace it with the latest from Google.

HTC Nexus One

You would think that, like the Nexus S and the Galaxy Nexus, the Nexus One would be getting the boost up to Android 4.0. Unfortunately it’s not a sure thing according to the good folks at Google.

There is currently no clear plan for the Nexus One to see anything past Gingerbread so it’s possible that the original Nexus might be left out in the cold without an Ice Cream Sandwich. It will be celebrating its two year birthday in January so it wouldn’t be shocking to see that happen.

We wouldn’t count it out just yet though.

Update: Bad news. Google has confirmed that the Nexus One won’t be getting an upgrade to Android 4.0.

HTC Rezound

HTC has confirmed the update for the HTC Rezound although it’s unclear when the update will be rolling out.

HTC Sensation 4G

Like the EVO 3D, it’s almost impossible to think that the HTC Sensation 4G, which T-Mobile released to compete with Sprint’s EVO, wouldn’t see the upgrade to Android 4.0.

It has Gingerbread right out of the box and to be perfectly honest, it’s one of the best Android releases of 2011 and one of the best devices to ever grace T-Mobile’s network. Period.

And while the Magenta carrier hasn’t confirmed anything yet, we’re fairly certain that Sensation 4G owners will be getting the update at some point in the months ahead. Just be patient.

Update: HTC has confirmed Android 4.0 for the HTC Sensation. T-Mobile remains mum on the Sensation 4G but we assume that this means it will be coming.

HTC ThunderBolt

The HTC ThunderBolt. A nemesis of ours here at GBM and a headache for owners out there who were unfortunate enough to buy the device on a two year contract. Currently, the ThunderBolt is split into two camps.

The first camp consists of those who have received the Gingerbread update, an update that was a buggy mess. The second camp of ThunderBolt owners consists of those that are still running Android 2.2 because they weren’t able to get the software before HTC and Verizon pulled the plug on it indefinitely.

That being said, we should see the update roll out again at some point in the near future, HTC has said so. Can’t say the same thing for Android 4.0 though.

There has been nary a peep from HTC and Verizon and you have to think that both are as tired of this phone as its owners. It’s certainly possible that the problems with Gingerbread could very well be a death knell for Ice Cream Sandwich.

However, we believe that because of the shear number of HTC ThunderBolt owners out there, the companies really have no choice but to commit to the new software. For better or worse.

LG G2x

T-Mobile’s LG G2x has been nothing short of a debacle. In fact, for a time, it was giving the HTC ThunderBolt a run for its money as the buggiest phone on the market. It was so buggy, that LG and T-Mobile had to pull it off shelves. Of course, they blamed it on demand but that was clearly not the reason.

Fortunately, the Gingerbread update arrive for the device in July and things seemed to have settled a bit.

Issues aside, the G2x is a powerful phone (it has a dual-core processor and a bunch of RAM) which means it’s a prime candidate to receive the upgrade to Android Ice Cream Sandwich.

We just don’t know when that will be.

Update: We have some bad news, G2x owners. The Optimus 2X won’t get Android 4.0 which means that the G2x may not get it either.

Update 2: LG has refuted the previous report and says that it is still testing Android 4.0 on both phones and that it doesn’t know if it will get released or not. That’s better news but certainly not good.

Update 3: The Optimus 2X is confirmed to be getting Android 4.0. The G2x? Not so lucky. At least not yet.

LG Revolution

Like the HTC ThunderBolt, the LG Revolution was one of Verizon’s original 4G LTE launch devices. And like the ThunderBolt, the Revolution hasn’t seen any Gingerbread love from Verizon. It’s still stuck on Android 2.2 and that’s, well, that’s just not good.

It’s also been out since May and still, no sign of Android 2.3. That means that if LG and Big Red are planning on getting this to Ice Cream Sandwich, it’s going to be awhile before they do so.

Motorola Atrix 4G

Back in July, AT&T and Motorola released the Gingerbread update for the Atrix 4G and so far, we haven’t heard any horror stories so we think it’s safe to assume that the Atrix has been able to handle Android 2.3.

The only thing that might prevent the Atrix 4G from getting a bump to Android 2.3 would be if AT&T wants to sell the Atrix 2.

We have a feeling that Ma Bell won’t disappoint owners of its first dual-core smartphone but until we hear it from the horse’s mouth, nothing is for certain.

Motorola Atrix 2

The Motorola Atrix 2 just launched on AT&T and after going hands-on with it, we think that AT&T and Moto cooked up a fairly worthy successor. And at this point, we think that the quality of the device combined with its recent release means that Atrix 2 owners will definitely see Ice Cream Sandwich at some point down the road.

But, just like most of these phones, we just have no idea when that will be.

Motorola Droid 3

If the Droid 2 Global and Droid 2 were boosted up to Gingerbread, there is no doubt in our mind that Verizon will be bringing Android 4.0 to the Motorola Droid 3. It’s a powerful phone and the only reason it hasn’t garnered attention is because it doesn’t run on Big Red’s 4G LTE network.

This will almost assuredly be one of the first Motorola devices that sees the Ice Cream Sandwich next year.

Motorola Droid 4

Verizon will launch the Motorola Droid 4 on February 10th and when the device does arrive, it will do so with Android Gingerbread on board. However, both companies behind the device have confirmed that Android 4.0 will be coming to the device in the weeks ahead.

Motorola Droid Bionic

If you bought Motorola’s first dual-core 4G LTE device, you’re in luck. The manufacturer has confirmed Android 4.0 for the Droid Bionic but it didn’t reveal when the device would be getting Ice Cream Sandwich.

Motorola’s other dual-core 4G LTE smartphone will be getting it in early 2012 so we figure that the Bionic will be getting the software somewhere around then too.

Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX

The Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX was originally announced at CES 2012 and was launched in the early part of 2012 with Android Gingerbread on board. Luckily, both Motorola and Verizon confirmed that the device will be upgraded to Android 4.0 although Motorola would only say that it would be coming in the weeks ahead.

Motorola Droid X

The Motorola Droid X and Gingerbread haven’t played nice from the beginning. When roll out day came, Droid X owners were ecstatic, which soon turned to misery when they found out the update was not only plagued with bugs but was also bricking phones.

It took a little bit before Verizon pushed out a bug fix update but it did and things have quieted down a bit. However, horror stories still trickle in on occasion so there are definitely still people out there struggling.

That being said, Moto and Verizon are going to have to take a hard look at whether or not they want to subject Droid X owners to the horrors of another major Android update, no matter how delicious it looks.

We think that they might just take a pass on Android 4.0 for the Droid X but it would certainly be a pleasant surprise if they didn’t.

Motorola Droid X2

Just like with the Motorola Droid 3, we don’t see any reason why Moto and Verizon wouldn’t update its other refresh, the Droid X2, with Ice Cream Sandwich. It’s still one of the best 3G phones on the market and it should be able to handle Android 4.0 no problem.

Thing is, it has MotoBlur. And that means that the update could take some time to get released. Unless Motorola and Verizon want a buggy experience for this phone as well.

Samsung Droid Charge

Another one of Verizon’s original 4G LTE device, the Samsung Droid Charge was released amidst a ton of hype earlier this year. Sadly, like its companions, poor battery life and the release of more powerful phones has sent this thing to the bargain bin with Android 2.2 Froyo on board.

That’s right, it’s not even running Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

Things look pretty bleak here unfortunately but without any sort of official statement from Big Red or Sammy, it’s hard to count the Droid Charge out just yet. Just assume that it won’t get Android 4.0 and that way, you’ll be delighted if it does happen to show its face.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Not much to say here other than the Galaxy Nexus will have Android 4.0 out of the box.

Lucky devil.

Samsung Galaxy S – (Fascinate, Captivate, Vibrant, Epic 4G)

Samsung had a heck of a time getting Android 2.2 Froyo onto its original Galaxy S devices and while there are signs of a boost up to Gingerbread for every single one of these, there hasn’t been anything official yet.

These are aging phones as well and the Samsung Galaxy S II taking the reigns makes it easier for Sammy to opt out of getting all four of these up to Android 4.0.

Update: Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy S will not be getting an Android 4.0 update.

Samsung Galaxy S II – (Galaxy S II, Epic 4G Touch)

The Samsung Galaxy S II is one of the best Android phones to ever grace the earth and it has finally arrived on three carriers in the United States in AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile.

It’s fairly safe to assume that all three have sold well and we think that all three U.S. carriers will likely make Android 4.0 a priority for these phones. After all, they are all current flagship devices.

Let’s just hope the update process goes a little smoother than it did for the Galaxy S II’s predecessors.

Update: Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy S II will be getting Android 4.0 in 2012.

Samsung Infuse 4G

The Samsung Infuse 4G, with its massive display, is definitely one of the better Android devices on AT&T. However, Gingerbread has yet to arrive in official form for the and that’s a little troubling especially since AT&T promised it would be here by now.

Still, we think this device has a very good shot at getting Android 4.0 in the future it just might be awhile before it decides to show up given the obviously problems that AT&T and Samsung are having with Android 2.3.

Samsung Nexus S (Nexus S 4G)

Own a Nexus S? Want Android 4.0? We’ve got some good news. Google has confirmed that the Nexus S will be getting Android 4.0. Probably not a surprise to any of you but it’s just nice to hear confirmation.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Play

And finally, the PlayStation Phone, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play. It was the first device on Verizon to run Android 2.3 Gingerbread and that definitely will serve it well in its quest to get Android 4.0.

Sony has been pretty unreliable when it comes to major updates for its Xperia line of phones so don’t expect the Xperia Play to have a smooth ride acquiring Ice Cream Sandwich but hey, at least there’s a good chance it will be getting it.

Can’t say the same for other phones out there.

Update: The Xperia Play Android 4.0 update was confirmed but it appears to have been delayed.

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So there we have it. Again, these are mostly predictions with a few confirmations so expect a lot of updating to go down over the next couple of months.

I don’t understand this. Why should I have to buy a new device to get ICS? At least with the iPhone, the 2g and 3g didn’t get the ios5 upgrade – but a phone I bought in November of last year may not get it?

That is just wrong – and while I loved my Evo (except for the battery), I can’t see upgrading 1 year into my contract (especially with Sprint – who just took away that upgrade option). What makes a phone EOL anyway??

It’s old and slow. Ever run a benchmark on it? Slower than a nexus one or g2, both older phones. It had it’s time, it may be time to retire it. Not anyones fault that technology has moved so damn fast. Out is even harder to swallow for those of us who got an atrix. Dual core and already out dated.

Well….not necessarily, since its mostly carrier bloatware that weighs those devices down….while the g2 and nexus one have a vanilla Android experience… Even so, there’s something wrong with the benchmark you’re using, or the build of the software if the atrix is scoring that low….the atrix features an NVIDIA tegra2 while the g2 features a snapdragon single core ARM 7 rev1 chip at 800 Mhz, nexus 1 is obviously blown out of the water as well, and the nexus s may be able to compete with the atrix, but the NVIDIA chip is the clear winner.

The software, works amazingly well on my droid 2. The phone used to run 4-6hours, now we are talking 3-4 days without a charge. Additionally, no more reboots when the screen is off. So this is amazing, the phone works the way it should have worked from the beginning! Its now officially better than an iphone.

strongly doubt Samsung will put ICS on the Galaxy S or even the Galaxy S II in the States. Hell, Gingerbread is not on any of the Galaxy S line in the United States as of October 24. And they say, these phones are to be support on an 18-month cycle according to Google. Riiight.

I have an HTC Incredible and there is a manual update out. I actually made a video tutorial on how to update with links to the download and such. All you need is a sd card, a computer, and some time. What’s nice about the manual update is that it allows you to update WITHOUT being rooted. However there are a few odd things about it. It works just fine, but it says that the screen is a 4.3 inch wvga, and that there’s an 8 megapixel camera. Still, if you sick of waiting for the update and just want 2.3.4 now, hit up this link.

I’m hoping Verizon and LG will honor the implied agreement when I bought this phone that it would be getting Android updates. I allowed the Froyo OTA update to kill the rooting I had (and now rooting is impossible) just so I could get Gingerbread in the future. If it never comes, I’m never buying an LG phone again.

I have droid 3 and the pop up on my phone saying need a update to ics 4.0 but I am having a difficult of time to get upload into my phone. I did what I was told for sdk and avd but it is not transfering the update into my phone. Does anyone know how or can explain to me what I need to do?

My Nexus Galaxy is quite amazing with ICS… I do have to warn you though that there are some bugs on even ICS 4.0.2 (disappointment). Either way I am eagerly ALREADY waiting for 4.0.3 update… Hope it comes SOON.

The Cell phone makers and carriers need to seriously re-think their marketing plans. We are all hooked into their 2 year upgrade cycles. It makes little sense to lock me in to such a cycle and when an OS upgrade comes out I cannot upgrade my phone to it? That sound ridiculous.If 2 years are not up I should have the opportunity to upgrade. I got my Atrix 4G in August and I expect to get ICS or the next upgrade until August 2013. No wonder so many people root their phones.

Same here. I didn’t even realize how gimped this phone was when I got it. I loved the fact that it had a REAL keyboard and wasn’t monster sized. It’s better on battery life compared to the EVO 4G. If they screw us over I’m not upgrading, I’m changing carriers and getting The New iPhone (5?).

Yeah I would really want the droid x to get the upgrade. Yesterday they realesed an update. I was exited but it was just a bug fix. So let’s hope that Motorola and Verizon will come together and get this update for the droid x going

“Sadly, like its companions, poor battery life and the release of more powerful phones has sent this thing to the bargain bin with Android 2.2 Froyo on board.That’s right, it’s not even running Android 2.3 Gingerbread.”
WRONG… the Droid Charge DOES have 2.3.6, and it’s only 1 year old. Although I don’t expect it to get updated, I am confused as to why Verizon/Samsung would not provide a ICS update for it. Especially since they didn’t offer the GSII when it came out. Until the GSIII arrives, it is Verizon’s ONLY 4G Samsung phone that is suited for the ICS update. But whateva… I am not holding my breath for anyone or anything.

What happens to the capacitive buttons on all these gingerbread phones when ICS gets installed? Do they remain functional? Also, do you lose screen real estate since the navigational buttons are on screen in the OS? So my 4.3″ phone kinda shrinks to a 4.1 phone and I have 4 useless bottons on the bottom? Not bitching, just wondering.